Causes and Revolution Or How Nice Folks Had Finally Had Enough

The French and Indian War was costly The British needed revenue ($) It was time for the colonies to act like colonies

Mercantilism – Colonies existed for the benefit of the Mother country a)Colonies only traded with the Mother Country b)Colonies only exported raw materials c)Colonies did not manufacture goods

No more salutary neglect The Mother Country will now act like a Mother Country

And so the taxes! But how can the colonists be taxed if they did not elect representatives to Parliament?

Protests began Colonists boycotted British goods Colonists published articles challenging British policies Colonists demanded liberty

But when tea was dumped in Boston Harbor…

Punishment ensued

And what patriot really wanted to house and feed a British soldier?

In Boston, a massacre had even occurred March 5, 1770 British soldiers came to support a soldier who was being heckled by a snowballing crowd Shots were fired Three persons were killed and two died later of their wounds

The Virginia governor dissolved the House of Burgesses But the burgesses went to a nearby tavern And Patrick Henry said, “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

On September 5, 1774, the first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia It was time for the colonists to decide what to do They still hoped for peace with Britain

But in Massachusetts, full-scale rebellion had begun April 19, 1775 Hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to seize an arms cache

The patriot, Paul Revere, warned the colonists of the soldiers’ arrival

And while some colonists still hoped for reconciliation with Britain Others were listening to Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense in 1776 Paine encouraged many colonists to join the Patriot cause and declare independence “Our corn will fetch its price in any market.”

To revolution and liberty